Over the past three years, Camylio has crafted a sound that merges alternative pop production with heartfelt, folk-inspired storytelling.On his fourth EP “in the light and shadows,” the multi-talented singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer uses these contrasting elements to explore “the light and dark sides of attraction and love.”
Among the project’s seven tracks is his latest single “angel,” a haunting alt-pop track about the world-stopping moment of seeing your person for the first time. The song is accompanied by a cinematic visual directed by CakeMaster, which reflects the opposing emotions.
We sat down with the New York-born, Los Angeles-based artist to chat about building the illuminating new EP, finding his sound, and what’s next.
Excerpt from the podcast:
On instagram you wrote “I don’t know if a project has ever felt more like “me.” As your fourth EP, what has the journey been like to get to this moment of authenticity and vulnerability?
I put like 20 songs on Spotify when I was 17 over the course of the year. I’m a big fan of that Gary V./Russ mentality where it’s like, just put things out, let the market decide. All of that stuff was all over the place. Some of it was in Spanish. It was in this crazy world. When I did go home and I made that TikTok account, I started posting. The first thing that ever connected was these piano-based covers with just like my voice on top, and super simple. I think for a long time, there’s this degree of like kind of taking it where you can get it. This was the dream I’ve always had so I just did what I felt would work. And then I think it became part of my identity because it’s what I did for so long. When I learned to write songs, those are the songs I was writing. But I will say, with every EP that’s gone by, I think I’ve just truly grown up. The first one was written and made when I was 19 years old and I turned 23 a month ago. I think there’s a degree where my skill set maybe has grown. I’ve been mentored by so many wonderful people and I think I’m just more comfortable breaking rules and just saying, you know what I like this. I have the confidence of a couple years under my belt to be like, I don’t need to be the piano guy for this song. Maybe I will be for the next one, but I just want to make something cool today. And that’s been really inspiring for me.
The first track off the EP is “Angel.” What was the inspiration behind that song?
That was one that was done in Stockholm, and I think It was definitely one that was driven by the music first, like all that piano stuff came in. There was a vibe. There was a blank canvas thar was what it sounded like. It was this game of like, okay, but what would this song be about? We know what the music sounds like. What would it be about? The inspiration I pulled from – there’s a Dan & Shay song called “Speechless” The whole chorus of the song or like leading up to it is like his significant other coming down the stairs and taking his breath before a simple night out. That beautiful moment of like, oh my god, you’re beautiful. It was that kind of inspiration – let’s let’s capture that moment, but like Maybe a little darker. Maybe like the thoughts that you’re not saying in the beautiful country love song, something a little grittier. I’m really proud of how that moment comes out, especially with the way that the track pulls out and it feels like your breath kind of gets stolen.
Listen to the full interview here.